Far Cry 4 and Rainbow Six Siege Among Ubisoft’s New Titles
On Monday, Ubisoft rolled out its full slate of games coming up this year and beyond. At its press conference preceding the official opening of E3, Ubisoft announced new entries for many of its most popular and enduring series, as well as a few entirely new properties. Check out the full rundown below.
“Far Cry 4”
The open-world action-adventure series returns with a new villain and a new setting. Based on the first five minutes of the game, you’ll be set loose in the foothills of the Himalayas, hunted by a villain who is “very particular with his words.” This arrives November 18.
“Just Dance 2015”
An updated track list (featuring Calvin Harris, Pharrell Williams, and Ellie Goulding, to name a few) is just one of the new wrinkles being injected into the bumpin’ and grindin’ series. Also new: You can upload your performances and be scored by other players. Also cool: With the help of a free app called “Just Dance Now,” your smartphone can be used as a motion detector. Watch for this one in October.
“Tom Clancy’s The Division”
After a disease spreads on Black Friday and the United States collapses in five days, the Strategic Homeland Division is deployed to fight the bio-terror threat and “put the first piece back together — put us all back together.” This gritty multiplayer shooter is scheduled to arrive sometime in 2015.
“The Crew”
As if the idea of an open-world driving MMO weren’t intriguing enough, “The Crew” boasts a particularly interesting setting: the entirety of the United States. With tons and tons of car customizations and no load times, the game will let you drive from sea to shining sea quicker than your daily commute. November 11 is when you’ll get a chance to slide behind the wheel.
“Assassin’s Creed Unity”
Hop in the Animus and travel back to Paris in 1879, in a new entry for the stealth-killing and -exploring franchise. Set during the French Revolution, “Unity” introduces four-player co-op that allows for synchronized slaughter. Cover-based stalking in Paris never looked so tantalizing, especially with next-gen frills like being able to see shadows projected down halls to make you a more effective hunter — or hider. The revolution begins on October 28.
“Shape Up”
Seeking to fix the fact that “fitness is boring,” Ubisoft is teaming with Microsoft to usher in the next generation of games designed to help you get into shape. With the help of Kinect, the game presents your real-time likeness engaging in gamified fitness challenges. For example, Piano Step mixes cardio with rhythm games by having you jump along to music on a giant keyboard; another mode measures push-ups by projecting heavy objects onto your back. You can compete against friends — or even full video of your own previous record — when the game hits in November.
“Valiant Hearts: The Great War”
Inspired by letters written during the Great War, Valiant Hearts is a puzzle-adventure game centered on four characters navigating the horrors of World War I. It comes complete with mini history lessons and high-quality colorized photos from the war. Also: There’s an adorable dog in it. You can head to the trenches on June 25.
“Rainbow Six Siege”
Ubisoft’s surprise wrap-up game was a new entry in the long-running “Rainbow Six” series — the first in six years. The gameplay demo of this team-based shooter showed a five-on-five hostage-extraction mission set in a fairly normal-looking suburban home. The “siege” element comes into play as players can fortify and defend a position — or infiltrate and breach an enemy’s position — with a level of detail never seen in a “Rainbow Six” game. We’ll have to wait until 2015 to get our hands on this one, but it looks like it’ll be well worth the wait.